Some attempts have been made to provide reaction response training devices to fit the above needs and many have met with moderate success. For instance, W. Alton in U.S. Pat. No. 3,024,020 proposes an apparatus for testing agility and powers of coordination. In this system, the person utilizing the apparatus attempts to place a limb in a predetermined position as directed by a light stimulus. Rowland in U.S. Pat. No. 1,564,138 discloses a testing apparatus which provides a similar response reflex type of coordination measuring means in which the operator must manually manipulate an object in response to a light display. Systems such as these provide a basic visual cue/reaction but the required physical action is minimal and limited.
Brown in U.S. Pat. No. 2,260,432 and Schuster in U.S. Pat. No. 3,523,374 disclose vehicle training aids wherein an operator actuates vehicle controls in response to visual cues. Here, additional physical actions are required by the test subject and in some instances a deeper thought process is required prior to the action than in the preceding examples of reaction response machines. However, systems such as these still fail to provide a means whereby selected muscles of the body may be exercised in a reaction response mode.
Ranseen in U.S. Pat. No. 2,678,692 presents a coordination measuring device wherein coordination between stimulation and reaction of a test subject is measured. This system contemplates a visual stimulation but limits that stimulation to extremely simple presentations which therefore limit the possible ranges of response reaction that are required to meet the needs set forth above.
A copending patent application by the present inventor, Ser. No. 782,024, now U.S. Pat. No. 4,237,635, issued Dec. 9, 1980, on "Reaction Training Apparatus" attempts to meet many of the needs not satisfied by the prior art. In the copending application a display means is provided which will identify various parts of a test subject's body and a second display means is provided which will request a specific movement of that part of the body. In this device, two displays provided by words printed on endless belts that may be randomly driven and periodically stopped for predetermined periods of time are integrated to create the required stimulus. This system while meeting many of the needs not satisfied by the prior art, is limited in that only a few commands are available due to the physical limitations of the endless belts. The system suffers additional disadvantages in that it cannot change displays or commands instantly due to the transport time required by the belts.